The Oldest Desert

When compared with the Sahara, the Namib is extremely small.
The Sahara is ten times the size of Namibia and thirty times the size of the Namib.

The Namib is one of the world's most diverse deserts in terms of plant and animal life.
One in every five species in the Namib is endemic, including the ancient Welwitschia plant.



There are four broad types of landscapes to be found: the great sand dune (commonly referred to as the sand sea), the gravel plains, the ephemeral riverbeds, and the inselbergs, or island mountains.

Life in the desert is controlled by the infrequent, unpredictable and isolated downpours that quickly get soaked up by the toughest of life in desperate need for water.